PEKALONGAN CITY – Do not underestimate the white spots that appear on the skin. It could be, it is an early symptom of leprosy, an infection of the nerves and skin caused by mycobacterium leprae.
Leprosy Program Manager at the Pekalongan City Health Office, Indayah Dewi Tunggal, explained that leprosy is not a hereditary disease. Leprosy is a tropical disease that can be transmitted through direct, intensive and long-term contact with sufferers.
“Leprosy is transmitted through droplets from the nose and mouth, close contact for a long time for months, living at home with someone affected by untreated leprosy is a risk factor for transmission,” he explained when met after the Rapid Village Survey (RVS) activity at Jenggot Village, South Pekalongan District, Pekalongan City, some time ago.
He explained, from January to June 2023, there were 20 new leprosy patients in Pekalongan City, while the number of leprosy patients who were still being treated was 64 people. In other words, the leprosy prevalence rate in Pekalongan City is 2 percent.
Indayah explained, leprosy consists of two types. First, the paucibacillary type, which is a type of leprosy with spots on the skin totaling 1-5 points. Patients tend to feel numbness in a clear location and there is damage to only one nerve.
The second type, he added, is multibacillary leprosy, namely the appearance of spots on the skin with more than five locations. Sufferers will feel numbness in the skin but cannot describe the area precisely because the leprae bacteria have attacked many nerve branches.
Indayah added, physical symptoms that are generally felt by leprosy sufferers, apart from numbness in the skin, are thickening of the skin and hair loss. If someone experiences these symptoms, they must immediately go to a health facility for examination, especially for histopathological, bacterioscopic, and blood examinations.
“If the diagnosis is positive, the patient will be treated using antibiotics for at least six months. The purpose of self-medication apart from curing the patient will also break the chain of transmission in order to prevent worse effects such as blindness, kidney failure and permanent damage to the nerves,” he said.
According to him, leprosy and its transmission can be prevented by maintaining the cleanliness of the environment in the area and maintaining the immune system. In addition, people who have close contact with leprosy sufferers will be given chemoprophylactic treatment, namely taking a single dose of rifampicin to avoid the emergence of new cases.
“Leprosy prevention can be done by maintaining personal hygiene, especially the skin, eating nutritious food. Don’t be lazy to take a shower at least 2 times a day,” he concluded.
Author: Dian, Pekalongan Contributor
Editor: Mr, Central Java Diskominfo
2023-07-13 09:06:19
#Prevent #Leprosy #Maintaining #Personal #Environmental #Cleanliness
